Gandara
The Republic of Gandara is the greatest naval power in the region, and the primary provider of foreign slaves for the Tyrant Thrones. Operating out of the great port of Gandara, the Republic sails to all shores of Yantir, raiding and looting coastal villages and carrying off their inhabitants. Likewise, the fleet controls the majority of the Thousand Isles, and thus is vital in the trade of food, spices, slaves, and other commodities to and from the isles. In addition to its maritime power, the Republic's borders stretch north and east along those of the Nerevic Empire. Recently the Republic has begun to put greater stock in their land forces, leading to a large increase in the number of slaving raids into Nerevic lands. History Founding and Construction The port of Gandara was founded on an already well-inhabited island by Turai. Named after the realm's greatest admiral, Gandara was an immense and costly investment. Thousand of tonnes of rock had to be shipped to the island, and the arms of the port are entirely artificial, built up from foundations on the sea-bed. At the time of its completion, Gandara served Turai well, sheltering its fleets and providing an unassailable military base to hose its armies. The positioning of Gandara meant large forces could be deployed by ship to any coastal area of the realm, making it strategically vital in maintaining Turai's lands. Takeover and Secession In the waning years of Turai's power, Gandara become a hive of bored sailors and ambitious admirals. With fewer and more conflicting orders coming from Turai, either demanding suicidal missions to the eastern provinces or scuttling of large portions of the fleet, the admirals stationed there began to vote among themselves on their course of action. When the orders stopped coming, they continued this trend, acting as heavily armed but poorly supplied mercenaries to the highest bidder. Those among them who tried to take power were murdered, and quickly an uneasy balance emerged between the survivors. Changing priorities It was clear to the admirals in Gandara that they were in a unique position. Holding the full naval might of Old Turai in their harbour, they could strike at will against any target in the gulf. However, they were woefully supplied, as all trade between provinces had broken down, and the traditional importation of food from the eastern provinces had failed. The admirals thus voted to declare themselves a republic, and to focus on trade between the surviving elements of Turai society, hoping to earn enough to keep their sailors fed and loyal. Over the decades, as admirals died and were replaced, trade became theft, and theft became enslaving. The fleet of Gandara, once renowned for its uniformity, now was divided among ambitious sea-lords and their fleets of corsairs. Recent History As of 700 LN, Gandara began to expand its borders inland, claiming lands that once belong to Turai, and establishing their rule of vast swathes of farmland. Without the skill of expertise to work this land, however, and having harassed and enslaved much of the population that had lived their previously, Gandara has taken to snatching citizens of the Nerevic Empire, as well as those from the province of Sekelbeh, forcing both to work the fields in its new lands to feed its fleets. Outside of providing for themselves, Gandara's more enterprising admirals have begun trading, both in slaves and more legitimate goods, with any who will treat with them. Rumour has it that even some traders from Uvirith will buy Gandaran goods, so great is the variety that these corsairs can provide. Structure The Admirals and the "Republic" Although the original vision of the admirals of Gandara was to co-ordinate themselves after the collapse of Turai, it did not take long for the so-called "republic" to descend into infighting. However, given the scale of Gandara's fleets, the admirals had to find a way to at least ostensibly work together, even just to have a safe place to put to port. As such, the ruling elite of Gandara is a relatively stable set of a dozen or so admirals, each lording over fleets of dozens, sometimes hundreds of ships. Not all admirals stay in Gandara however, and many reside in opulent palaces elsewhere in the Thousand Isles, usually forcefully taken from their previous inhabitants. Although assassination, scheming and betrayal are common among the admirals and their subordinates, until now the scale of the wealth that flows through Gandara has meant none have been forced into drastic action to protect their livelihood. The Corsairs While the Turai Navy has long since ceased to exist, the Corsairs of Gandara still claim descent from it. In reality, they are a savage, greed-driven mass of pirates and marauders. Although the exact structure of each fleet varies depending on the ruling admiral, usually there is no discipline or chain of command as rigid or efficient as that in the Old Turai Navy. Many corsairs even operate their ships independently, paying their way into Gandara's sheltered port to flog their wares. Population Breakdown Total Population: '''Gandara - 40'000-60'000 (depending on stationed fleets), Wider Territory - Unknown '''Percentage in Slavery: 45% Races: ' * Humans - 40% * Catfolk -12% * Half-Dwarves - 10% * Half-Orcs - 10% * Tieflings - 10% * Dwarves - 5% * Dragonborn - 5% * Ratfolk - 5% * Elves - 3% Persons of Interest Admiral Joko Perhaps the most feared and well respected admiral in Gandara, Joko is a corsair without equal, striking fast and deep into lands all around Yantir, and sailing back to his home with holds filled with slaves. Unlike his colleagues, Joko has specialised his trade almost entirely in weapons and slaves, becoming a Merchant of War to the other Tyrant Thrones. Jishol looks to him for sacrifices, and Mahto's People bolster their armies with his human cattle. He even provides unusual victims for the perverse delights of the nobles in Sekelbeh. Category:Location Foreign RelationsCategory:Vhir Because of the lack of any centralised authority in Gandara, assessing its relations with other states is a difficult task. Similarly, the seemingly endless raids of coastal towns in other lands has made most areas hostile to Gandara. Nevertheless, some enterprising admirals have struck up relations with nearby states, and the entire admiralty does have a general consensus in relations to some nations. 'Turai - Hostile: Gandara seeks to increase its holding in the Thousand Isles, and Turai's territory there is the nearest and weakest. Similarly, Gandara seized nearly all its now extensive coastal territory from Turai. Jishol - Neutral: Gandara is Jishol's primary provider of slaves, and the sorcerer-state is not an easy or prime target for Gandaran raids, given its landlocked nature. Time will tell if conflict arises between these two Thrones due to Jisholi expansion into Turai. The Mhedian Tribes - Netural: Although Gandara was long at war with Ossa, the latter's conquering by the forces of Mhedi and the Wyrm Queen have done much to reset relations. Gandara still eye's the Queen's holdings in the Isles, though for now they are enjoying the trade monopoly afforded to them by Ossa's downfall. Sekelbeh- Friendly: Although some daring or desperate Gandaran corsairs raid Sekelbeh lands for slaves, the majority of admirals recognise the Satrapy as the Republic's major trading partner. Nerevic Empire - Hostile: Ceaseless raids, lootings and enslavements of Nerevic lands and people have left relations between these two states broken beyond repair. The only exemption to the vehement hatred felt in the Empire for Gandara are rumours of some shady Uvirith traders making deals with the corsairs for exotic goods.